The Future Taco Bell From ‘Demolition Man’ Is Real and It Looks Incredible

I would estimate I have seen the Sylvester Stallone film Demolition Man at least 40 times. It was on cable a lot when I was a kid, and I loved its future world: The “San Angeles” of 2032, where swearing is illegal, all sex is virtual, and the only restaurant is Taco Bell, which somehow won the film’s mythic “franchise wars.” What I’m trying to explain is, Demolition Man is a masterpiece.

For a long time, I felt alone in that assessment. Most people would make fun of you if you went to bat for it (usually they’d make a joke about the three seashells, the mysterious device used in the bathrooms of the future instead of toilet paper). I did not care. In 2012, I wrote a passionate defense of the film for the A.V. Club and now, six years later, it seems like the rest of the world is finally catching up. Because at San Diego Comic-Con this year, there is a Taco Bell pop up celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary by recreating the film’s future Bell in exacting detail and everyone there is really excited. It looks incredible and I truly want to murderdeathkill everyone who gets to eat there.

First, here is the scene featuring Taco Bell in the film for reference:

Like the Taco Bell of the film, the San Diego pop-up is a fine dining, four-course experience. Look at the menu!

They even recreated one of the hilariously fancy plates of food from the film exactly. Looking at this gives me joy-joy feelings.

One of the best running gags in Demolition Man are the fines that are levied against anyone (usually Stallone’s John Spartan) for swearing, which are spit out of machines attached to the walls of buildings. Customers at Taco Bell 2032 got fined!

And, yes, the bathroom even had three seashells. They appear to be behind locked glass though, which is a shame, as I would have wanted to use them for real. For science.

Here are a couple more pictures of this magnificent establishment:

Taco Bell 2032 is opening in San Diego through July 21. Please go there and take pictures and send them to me. But above all, be well.